A Foreign Affair (1948)
Directed by Billy Wilder

Comedy / Drama / Romance

Film Review

Abstract picture representing A Foreign Affair (1948)
Directed by one of Hollywood's greatest talents, Billy Wilder, and starring international glamour icon Marlene Dietrich, A Foreign Affair is a film with an immense appeal for any film enthusiast even though it has languished in comparative obscurity for many years.  Whilst it may lack the faultless brilliance of some of Wilder's later films, this carefully crafted melange of military satire, screwball comedy and melodrama has enormous entertainment value, offering not just moments of laugh-out loud hilarity and real poignancy, but also an educative pictoral record of a wrecked Germany in the immediate aftermath of World War II.  When the film was first released, its far from flattering portrayal of US troops was ill-received in America, and this could explain why it has not achieved the high regard of many of Billy Wilder's other films (many of which also poke fun at American attitudes and institutions).

Marlene Dietrich may be the film's star attraction - and she is certainly at her seductive best, draped in eye-catching gowns that most women (and some men) would die for - but Jean Arthur gives the best performance as the appropriately named Miss Frost, a prim congresswoman who has a bittersweet taste of love in the ruins of Berlin.  Dietrich may not be able to compete with Arthur at an emotional and comedic level but she still manages to delight and enchant her audience with her shamelessly sensual rendition of some memorable musical numbers.  It would be ten years before the magnificent Marlene would appear in her next Billy Wilder film, Witness for the Prosecution (1957), in one of her last great film roles.
© James Travers 2008
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Billy Wilder film:
Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Film Synopsis

After WWII, an American government committee arrives in Berlin to carry out an investigation into the morale of US troops.  Congresswoman Phoebe Frost is appalled to see American soldiers fraternising with German women, and one woman in particular - nightclub singer Erika Von Schluetow.  The latter is known to have had close associations with high-ranking Nazi officials and so Miss Frost enlists the help of GI John Pringle to establish why she hasn't been indicted, not knowing that Pringle is the man who is protecting her...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.


Film Credits

  • Director: Billy Wilder
  • Script: Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, Richard L. Breen, Robert Harari, David Shaw (story)
  • Cinematographer: Charles Lang
  • Music: Friedrich Hollaender
  • Cast: Jean Arthur (Phoebe Frost), Marlene Dietrich (Erika Von Schluetow), John Lund (Captain John Pringle), Millard Mitchell (Col. Rufus J. Plummer), Peter von Zerneck (Hans Otto Birgel), Stanley Prager (Mike), William Murphy (Joe), Raymond Bond (Pennecot), Boyd Davis (Giffin), Robert Malcolm (Kramer), Charles Meredith (Yandell), Michael Raffetto (Salvatore), Damian O'Flynn (Lieutenant Colonel), Frank Fenton (Major Mathews), James Larmore (Lieutenant Hornby), Harland Tucker (General McAndrew), Bill Neff (Lt. Lee Thompson), George M. Carleton (General Finney), Gordon Jones (Military Police), Freddie Steele (Military Police)
  • Country: USA
  • Language: English / German
  • Support: Black and White
  • Runtime: 116 min

French cinema during the Nazi Occupation
sb-img-10
Even in the dark days of the Occupation, French cinema continued to impress with its artistry and diversity.
The best French war films ever made
sb-img-6
For a nation that was badly scarred by both World Wars, is it so surprising that some of the most profound and poignant war films were made in France?
The very best French thrillers
sb-img-12
It was American film noir and pulp fiction that kick-started the craze for thrillers in 1950s France and made it one of the most popular and enduring genres.
The best French films of 2018
sb-img-27
Our round-up of the best French films released in 2018.
The very best fantasy films in French cinema
sb-img-30
Whilst the horror genre is under-represented in French cinema, there are still a fair number of weird and wonderful forays into the realms of fantasy.
 

Other things to look at


Copyright © filmsdefrance.com 1998-2024
All rights reserved



All content on this page is protected by copyright